Banned Books Week

Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library and the American Library Association are observing Banned Books Week from Saturday, September 27, through Saturday, October 4, 2008. We will have a display of challenged books in our Multi-Purpose Room at 39 Second Street in Presque Isle, Maine.

Here is a list of the most frequently challenged books through the first five years of the 21st Century (2000 -2005):

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris

8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz

9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

10. "Forever" by Judy Blume

More recently, these ten books were the most challenged in 2007:

1. “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell

Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier

Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3. “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes

Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language

4. “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman

Reasons: Religious Viewpoint

5. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain

Reasons: Racism

6. “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7. “TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle

Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou

Reasons: Sexually Explicit

9. “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris

Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky

Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Off the list this year, are two books by author Toni Morrison. "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved," both challenged for sexual content and offensive language.

(Source: http://staging.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/may2008/penguin.cfm [Retrieved September 24, 2008])

The website DeviantArt is hosting a writing contest in observation of Banned Books Week as well. Writers may submit in either of two categories (or both): Fan Fiction (of challenged works) or Forbidden Themes (original works based on themes most frequently challenged). If you are interested in seeing what has been submitted or trying your own hand, please visit their guidelines page here. Deadline is October 6, 2008.